“The final report of the welfare system review provides a valuable roadmap for making our welfare system more sustainable and better focused on helping people into work,” BCA Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“A New System for Better Employment and Social Outcomes is a thoughtful and well-considered piece of policy work which deserves an equally thoughtful and coherent response from policy makers.

“Our welfare and employment systems need to be in sync so that assistance is targeted to people who need it most. The right incentives and supports have to be in place to ensure people who want and are able to work can do so.

“The report provides sound directions towards ensuring payments are adequate, and offers useful recommendations to better manage transitions between work and welfare so that people are not disadvantaged by finding work.

“The BCA supports the report’s recommended investigation of an investment model to guide and more effectively target spending. This model, inspired by the New Zealand approach, has the potential to deliver a more efficient system and better assist people at risk of long-term income support dependence.

“Ultimately, our welfare system needs to be financially sustainable. Along with more effective targeting of resources and better alignment of incentives and supports, we need to look at ways to improve service and payment delivery and use data more effectively.

“The report offers the government useful advice on a more sustainable and manageable approach to assisting the most vulnerable while enabling people to participate in the workforce when they can,” Ms Westacott said.

For further information contact:
Scott Thompson, Director, Media and Public Affairs
Business Council of Australia
Telephone (03) 8664 2664 • Mobile 0403 241 128